Darkest Whisper
by silvermaiden19
Summary: Kaname never once thought that Zero would be his closest friend despite the man being supposedly unaware of the existence of vampires. Unknown to the pureblood though is that Zero has secrets of his own and one that would threaten their ever-growing relationship.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Vampire Knight characters that would be appearing in this fanfiction. This story is only done for fun and entertainment. =)

 **Summary:** Kaname never once thought that Zero would be his closest friend despite the man being supposedly unaware of the existence of vampires. Unknown to the pureblood though is that Zero has secrets of his own and one that would threaten their ever-growing relationship.

 **Full Summary:** Pureblood vampire Kuran Kaname never expected in a million years that he would become close friends with a young human. In a world filled with bloodshed and betrayals, he knew that having that kind of bond would be his ruin yet he finds himself unable to stay away. Hiding away his true nature, he pursues a relationship all the while regretting involving the young human into the dangerous world of vampires. Enter Kiryuu Zero, a young student with a past closely linked to the vampires and a dangerous agenda of his own. As Kaname and Zero's relationship deepens, the arrival of a pureblood woman named Hiou Shizuka threatens to tear them apart. Because unknown to Kaname, Zero's bond with Shizuka runs far deeper than anything he would ever imagine.

 **Darkest Whisper**

00

 _ **Awakening**_

" _I'm not a stranger to betrayal anymore. After all, everyone I cared for has betrayed me in the end…"_

 _Shizuka Hiou_

Zero could hear the sounds of screams coming from the ballroom as well as steel clashing against steel. His younger sister clutched his hand tightly as they ran across the empty halls and far away from that chaos. They had just managed to reach the path to the servant's quarters, the one that would lead them straight to where the carriages were stationed, when he suddenly noticed them. He gasped and jerked his sister to the side so they could hide together in the shadows.

"Those demonic offspring could not have gotten too far. Do whatever it takes to find them before they can escape. None of these monsters should be left alive!" One of the men said with venom in his voice.

Zero held his breath as he waited for the men to leave. He knew for a fact that a fourteen year old like him would not stand a chance against those grown human men no matter how good he was in combat. These men were trained to fight beings like him and there were too many of them. It would be foolish of him to think that he could win at all.

As the last of the intruders disappeared, he pulled his sister back and up the stairs. He chanced a glance at her and saw that her eyes were wet with unshed tears. He couldn't comfort her. Not now that he was still trying to find some place safe for them to hide. A place where those evil men would not find them.

They ran down the hallways and when he saw the door to his own room, he pulled it open and ushered his sister inside before following. He then carefully shut the door behind him and backed up to the corner. He knew for certain that it probably wouldn't be enough to keep them safe, but it would serve as protection for the moment.

"Nii-sama, what's happening? Where's Tou-san and Kaa-san?" His sister said, her voice no more than a whisper.

He smiled encouragingly, trying not to let his worry show in his features. "They're buying us some time, Shizu-chan. Those men are vampire hunters and they're hunting us down. They want to kill us even though we did nothing wrong…" He closed his eyes in despair as he remembered those screams. When he opened them, he said in a determined voice, "That's why we have to leave this place alive or everyone else's sacrifice would all be for nothing."

"Nii-sama…"

He held her hand gently, all the while listening to the sounds of more battle. He didn't think those hunters would just leave them alone to escape, not after what they've said earlier of leaving no one alive.

He couldn't understand why this had happened. As far as he knew, there was a peace contract between purebloods and hunters. Did it mean that the vampire hunters were betraying the pact made by the vampire ancestors and the first hunters a hundred years ago?

Zero shook his head, focusing on the present. "Listen carefully, Shizu-chan, you have to be real quiet until we're out of danger. I know that you're scared, believe me when I say that I am too, but you have to do this. Just remember that I'm here and I'll protect you no matter what happens. Okay?"

His sister nodded.

She kept her promise because the next moment, the door suddenly swung open. She covered her mouth to prevent a scream and Zero turned around to shield her from view. He looked ready to defend his sister but seconds later, his posture relaxed as he saw his mother slam the door shut. She was panting for breath when she said, "They're coming close, my dear children."

"What do you want us to do, Kaa-san?"

His mother pushed away from the door and walked over to grab his shoulder with both hands. "Your father is dead and they're coming after the rest of our family." She tightened her grip as her light crimson-colored eyes went moist. "You and Shizuka must survive this tragedy. Both of you must live to continue the legacy of our ancestors. The Hiou clan would not end this day. I would never allow us all to fall to in the hands of these beasts. Our clan would live to see the future."

Zero looked at his mother, surprised by her determination and courage. She had always been so strong and right now, she was larger than life. He watched her step away from him and walked over to the wall, carefully pulling a panel out of place before walking back to grab Shizuka's hand. She guided his twelve year old sister inside and motioned for him to follow. He walked towards the panel and listened to the sounds of running feet growing louder. He grabbed the edge of the secret door and gazed at his mother. "Kaa-san, come on. What are you waiting for?"

His mother hesitated and shook her head. "I can't…"

"Kaa-san, what are you saying? Please, don't do this…" He said in disbelief.

She smiled at him sadly. "You are the son of the greatest leader our clan ever had, the grandson of a powerful and ancient vampire. Do not ever forget that fact for as long as you live. We are a pureblooded line and one of the strongest clans in existence. I know that one day you will grow to be a magnificent pureblood, a leader to be loved by his subordinates. I wish with all my heart that I and your father could have been there to see that future…" A tear fell down her cheek. "I'll make sure that both of you have time to escape this place. Take care of your sister for me. After this, you'll only have each other to rely on."

Zero's eyes widened in shock. She meant to fight those hunters all alone? "You have to come with us, Kaa-san. We still need you. Please, don't do this…" He begged. "I can't do this alone…"

"I can't…" Her melancholic expression suddenly became determined. "You are now the head of the family, Hiou Zero. It is now your duty to protect the remainder of your clan. Now, what are your promises to me?"

"Kaa-san, I –"

"You are a leader now, Zero. You have to be strong to face this world. Your promise to me!"

Zero knew that there was no changing her mind. His mother had always been stubborn and determined. He took a deep breath and answered, "I will keep on living for our legacy to remain alive. I will do my best to protect Shizuka until the day she doesn't need me anymore."

His mother smiled softly. "Now listen, I will lead them away from you by distracting them. They will surely take me and I want you to leave this place. Far away. I love you and your sister so much. I want you two to become the great vampires you were born to be. You and Shizuka are my beloved children. My heart and my soul. When I bore you two, I promised to myself that I will do whatever it took to protect the both of you." She reached out a hand to caress his cheeks and whispered, "Anything that was precious in me began with you, my dear Zero-kun." She pulled away. "Leave!"

Zero nodded his head and pulled the door shut, tears falling down his lavender-colored eyes. The door snapped into place as soon as he backed away. He realized that his mother must have shut it from her end. He swallowed down his pain as he pressed his hand against the door separating him from his beloved mother before he turned and ran away.

He caught up to Shizuka who gazed at him with confusion, probably wondering why their mother wasn't there. He couldn't tell her now, not without breaking down on the spot. He took one last look behind him before he grabbed her hand and towed them down the passage. He didn't have the breath to speak or to comfort his younger sister; it took everything he had just to keep on running and not jump at every strange sound he heard.

He was panting hard for breath when they finally emerged from the passage and into the storage room. Shizuka hung onto him as she looked around with fear in her eyes. He squeezed her hand and pulled her out of the room and into the yard. A few moments later, he spotted his father's most trusted retainer waving at them frantically. He smiled in relief and picked up their pace. He sprinted the last few feet to the carriage and pushed Shizuka first before following inside.

He reached out to hug her close as the carriage finally left the castle grounds. "You were really brave, Shizu-chan. I'm proud of you."

She beamed at his praise. He smiled gently as she also hugged him tight.

His eyes then turned a bright shade of crimson and he whispered, "I swear that one day they will regret the day they've betrayed our family."

 **\- xXx -**

 **Several Thousand Years Later…**

The long-awaited moment had finally come.

Takamiya Kaito couldn't contain his anticipation as he descended the staircase leading to the basement of the old mansion. His hazel-colored eyes shifted to a dark shade of crimson as he moved closer and closer to the person who made him what he was today. Much closer to the pureblood vampire who gave him the precious gift of life.

' _It amazes me to see that you're still here, hanging onto the last threads of your life. To think a fragile human like you has this much strength astounds even me. Don't force yourself to speak, young hunter. Just listen to me carefully. You are dying. Your wounds are too fatal to be healed and you have only a few minutes left in this world give or take. Death is drawing near for you but I can stop it. I can extend your life…'_

' _W-Wha-at?'_

' _I am giving you a choice now. You probably know what I am and what I can offer you. I watched you fight this battle. I watched you try to save so many lives. I watched you struggle to fight and live when most would have just given up and succumbed to death. Your potential is wasted if you die here. The first choice is that I can offer you release from this world. A painless death if you wish. The second choice is that I can make you one of us. I will give you the gift of immortality. I'll make you a vampire…'_

' _I –"_

' _It will be a different life and I suppose you would rather be dead with your so-called honor intact than to exist forever as the beings you hunted. But the choice is yours, hunter, what will it be?'_

He would never forget those words uttered to him by his savior as he lay dying on those godforsaken grounds, far away from his home and all that he loved dearly. He never wanted to take part in that damned war. He never wanted to die so young on a mission that seemed to foolish now. Yet he didn't have the luxury of choosing his own path. He was a vampire hunter just like his father and his grandfather and all his ancestors. He was a holy warrior tasked with vanquishing all evil in this world. He was to fight, to bleed, to kill, and to die.

It was his duty in this world.

As he continued to bleed to death, his soon to be master appeared from out of nowhere and gazed at him so kindly that he felt tears sting his eyes. He knew instantly that the man was a vampire yet despite his teachings, he couldn't muster it in himself to think of that man as something evil. Because there was sadness in that vampire's eyes. Because he looked at him as though he cared whether he lived or died. Because the vampire looked so alone and Kaito felt the same. He understood how terrible that feeling was. The crushing loneliness of knowing that there was no one there for you.

' _I don't want to die…I still want to live…'_

'… _you made a good choice, young hunter. You will live to see the future and decide your own path.'_

He wasn't human anymore but he never regretted his decision to live on. Seven hundred years of existence as a common vampire. All of those years were dedicated in serving the one person he loved more than anything else in this world. He gazed longingly at the sleeping figure enclosed in a crystal and protected by silver vines. It had been so damned long since he had last spoken to his master.

"It's finally time for you to awaken, Zero-sama…" he whispered softly.

Light footsteps caught his attention and he looked behind him to see a crimson-haired woman with bright green eyes gazing at him calmly. He tipped his head in acknowledgement of her presence and she offered him a beaming smile. Despite the difference in status, Inoue Karina had never treated him as if he was a lower being like so many noble vampires he met throughout the years. He found it very amusing that they would treat him in such a way when he was far older and far more powerful than any of them.

"It's been a while, Kaito-kun. It kinda hurts me that you didn't even visit me once for the last four years," Karina said grumpily as she gazed at him petulantly. "I was already lonely without him. You didn't need to disappear off the face of the earth too. Damned Ichiru-kun wouldn't even give me the time of the day. Always sulking and generally being a spoilsport. I thought you would be different."

"Sorry," Kaito muttered, though he knew that word wasn't enough. She was right that he had ignored her all those years. He should've known that he wasn't the only one who was lonely without their master. But he couldn't find it in himself to interact with others when the one person he wanted was unable to and for a long time it remained that way.

Karina sighed in defeat and said flatly, "You know that you weren't the only one who was lonely without him. Believe it or not, I know how you feel. I miss him more than words can tell. I met him later than you but I love him as well. He's important to me because just like you, he gave me a reason to live. He gave me this life that I have now. And you know what; this is the longest we've been separated from each other."

"Four years," he remarked. "I can't believe that he made us wait for so long."

"I forgot that he's your life, Kaito-kun," Karina said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Your whole world revolved around him. Then again, I can't blame you. I'm kinda the same. Everything I do is according to his wishes. I would gladly give my life for him without any second thoughts." Her gaze turned predatory as she said, "But this time, it wasn't his fault. He was injured too badly that day. There was no other way for him to survive except to go into hibernation. I swear I'll hunt down that bastard even if it's the last thing I do. I will tear him to pieces as soon as I find him."

Kaito smiled fondly. "Careful there, you're starting to sound like Ichiru already."

Karina snorted rather rudely as she stated, "Don't be such a hypocrite, Kaito-kun. I remember you stating that you want to gut the bastard when you find him."

"Zero-sama never took us for granted like those other purebloods. I'm a former vampire hunter and now a common vampire. In other vampire's eyes, I'm nothing more than dirt on their feet. But he never looked at me like that. He treated me like a friend, like a family. He made me feel worthy and special," Kaito said seriously. "Almost losing him like that and to a mere coward no less made my temper soar to new heights."

"Well, Zero-sama's definitely not your usual pureblood," Karina replied exasperatedly. "He functions on a different wavelength than the others. He's a complete anomaly and is weirder than most vampires we've met. It's a good thing but sometimes his recklessness would get us all killed one day."

Kaito was about to reply when suddenly he felt power stir in the air. His eyes widened as a familiar presence finally made itself known. A power he hadn't felt for the last four years. He turned his attention towards the moving silver vines and the crystal cracking along the surface. The bond that was quiet for the past four years had suddenly come to life.

"Should I do it, Kaito-kun?" Karina asked seriously, knowing what was coming next.

"No, it's fine. I've got it," Kaito replied calmly.

"Okay then," Karina said as she ascended the staircase. "I'll see you two in the living room. I'll just go and bug the hell out of Ichiru-kun in the meantime." And she disappeared from sight.

The crystal had broken in a shower of glass and in that space stood a silver-haired man with bright crimson eyes. The vampire beckoned him to come closer with a lift of his hand. Kaito didn't hesitate as he approached the pureblood and began shrugging off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. As soon as he was in front of the vampire, he closed his eyes. The silver-haired pureblood gently turned Kaito's head, exposing his neck, and plunged his fangs into the former hunter's skin.

Kaito gasped as they penetrated his skin. Tears sprung from his eyes, not from the pain, but from the relief, the pleasure. It had been so long since he felt his master and the bond was so silent until this moment. For the first time in four years, he felt his master's warmth as the pureblood drunk his blood. He felt his master's hand steady against the back of his head, fingers laced through his hair, bringing him ever closer. The vampire's other hand wrapped him close so he couldn't escape even if he wanted to. But he didn't. He wanted to stay here forever in his beloved master's arms.

All too soon, the pureblood pulled back and the once bright crimson eyes shifted to its normal silver-amethyst hues.

The silver-haired vampire's expression turned momentarily amused but then softened. "You always seem know what I need, Kaito. I trust that you've prepared everything accordingly."

"Of course I would damn well know. I've served you for seven hundred years, Zero-sama, and it would embarrass me greatly if I didn't understand a bit of how your devious mind works." Kaito's tone and expression matched in their utter blandness as he began to fix his appearance. "Did you get all the information you need from my blood?"

Zero smiled. It was both beautiful and cold. "You've certainly been around all sorts of places. And to answer your question, yes, I've seen your memories. It troubles me though that she's fallen too far from grace. I have already put the past behind me in regards to those hunters but she certainly hasn't. The years have only made her desire for revenge much worse than before and the death of her love has only driven her further into darkness. I thought she would have stopped after what she did to the Kiryuu family and me but it seems I was wrong."

Kaito's expression turned solemn as he knew how much it pained his master to think about his estranged sister. Zero loved her with all his heart but the same couldn't be said in reverse now. The once strong familial bond had eroded and turned into something so terrible. Shizuka hated her brother with her entire being. He wasn't there that fateful day it started and hadn't seen what happened but the aftermath was appalling in his eyes. It was the first time he had ever seen his steadfast and strong master break down like that.

Zero sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know more than anyone else that it's far too late to save her. Even if it means I will break my promise to my mother, I have to do something to stop her. I don't want what happened to Ichiru happen to others."

"Zero-sama…"

"Speaking of Ichiru, is he adjusting to this life?" Zero asked hesitantly, knowing that he had left the hunter to fend for himself even after promising that he would there to help him every step of the way. His own sister was responsible for the tragedy and it was only right that he make it up to the young fledgling. Being out of commission for four years was out of his hands but he still regretted not being able to help the young hunter.

"A bit," Kaito replied with a wince. He had tried to help Ichiru with his transition from human to vampire. After all, he knew the feeling intimately. But it didn't work as well as he thought it would. "Well, you know that he only listened to you. In our circle, you're the only one he trusted wholeheartedly and without you there, well…you know…"

The silver-haired vampire resisted the urge to face palm. "That damned kid…" He trailed off exasperatedly.

"So what are we going to do now that you're back in action, Zero-sama?"

The pureblood's face darkened and his eyes went distant as he said, "I've been gone from the vampire world for far too long. I think it's time for me to return but not too soon though. I still have to do two tasks before I assume the position of head of the Hiou Clan. One is my responsibility to stop Shizuka from falling even lower than before and the other is to hunt down the pureblood who worked with her and almost killed me."

Kaito bowed his head and murmured, "If that is your wish, my master. I'll follow you without question."

"I need to get close to Cross Academy, Kaito. Can you arrange that for me?" Zero asked suddenly and he smiled as the former hunter nodded his head in affirmation. It was only a feeling. But he was sure that everything would take place in that school. He would meet Shizuka there and he would make certain that he would finally end her life as he resolved himself to do so many years ago.

 **-chapter 00 end-**

 **Author's Notes**

I still haven't finished my others stories and here I am writing another one -sigh- still, I couldn't resist writing down this particular plot. It seemed very interesting as I wrote the first part of this chapter and it continued from there. I've always wanted to explore these particular characterizations and I hope you would enjoy this one as well. Following my usual trend, lots of mysteries are going to abound so I hope you guys would stick around until the very end.

Feedbacks and comments are always appreciated. It would really help me in developing this story and possibly inspiring me to keep on continuing writing this new project of mine. =)


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